(ECNS) -- Lawyers have warned that parents may be accused of child trafficking if they use websites and online messaging tools to facilitate baby adoption services.
While it is hard to search for such services online, information has been secretly shared via some half-open online groups provided by QQ instant messaging software.
People who would like to take part in related chats have to be verified by the group founder.
A member of one such online group said she will give birth to a baby next month and plans to put the child up for adoption because she "cannot support it". She required the family to be harmonious and treat the baby nice, while also asking for some "subsides", though not how much.
Most members said they want to adopt healthy babies because of family reasons - most of time infertility. A member, who claimed to be over 40 but had no child, said he hopes to adopt a boy via the group. Compared with the large number of couples who hope to adopt a child, the number of available babies is far less.
Babies already born can also be put up for adoption via such groups, with even birth certificates available for purchase online at about 20,000 yuan ($2,990), reported Beijing News.
Wang Youyin, a lawyer in Beijing, said it is illegal to adopt kids in this way. According to Chinese law, adoption has to occur through the civil affairs department.
However, online adoption is flourishing because it provides a cheaper and easier channel for parents. It also reflects a weak legal consciousness amongst the public, the report stated.
